Precious Sleep!
This can be just a dream for many parents! Getting a good night’s sleep can help the whole family, especially if you are going back to work.
All children (and adults) are different and some people do need less sleep than others but there are some things you can do to make sure your family get the sleep they need.
Although you may think it comes naturally a baby needs to learn how to sleep well just as they need to learn how to feed successfully, speak, walk and use the potty.
Did you know that sleep comes in cycles that include deep sleep, dreaming and light sleep and it is quite normal to wake briefly every night between the cycles? It is these periods of wakefulness that can cause problems for everyone.
If your baby falls asleep during a feed and you carefully put them down without waking – they learn to fall asleep on the breast or bottle.
When they are older and they wake during the normal sleep cycles the only way they know how to get back to sleep again is to repeat the feed – a sleep pattern that they have learned, even though they are not hungry. They are tired but frustrated as they have never learned to relax and get to sleep in their cot.
You can help your child learn how to get back to sleep by themselves by starting early. When you feed your baby try sometimes to put them down while they are tired, fed and winded but just still awake. When young they will be so sleepy they will be unable to resist dropping back to sleep. In this way they learn how to drop off with or without the feed.
Teaching your baby this flexibility will really help them to drop back to sleep by themselves and let everyone get a peaceful sleep once that night feeds phase is over.
These will gradually replace old habits and form a new pattern of going to sleep. Try as much as possible to keep a regular bedtime that suits your family. With patience and perseverance from you, your child can still learn how to go to sleep and how to sleep well through the night.
